


What Friends Are For

by missbecky



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-16
Updated: 2014-08-16
Packaged: 2018-02-13 11:33:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2149176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missbecky/pseuds/missbecky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The power of the Infinity Stone is reluctant to let go. Fortunately, the Guardians are even better at holding on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Friends Are For

She's in the hold, preparing for a mock duel with Drax, when Rocket comes in. "You guys better get up here," he snaps. "He's doing it again."

Gamora freezes, her arms still raised and in a ready position. From across the room, she meets Drax's eyes and sees the same dread realization dawning there that she feels.

Her swords clatter to the floor. Together she and Drax follow Rocket through the ship and into the Milano's cockpit.

One of the songs from the Awesome Mix Volume 2 is playing, but it's not music now; it's just meaningless noise. Nobody moves to turn it off, though. Peter is sitting on the floor, which means he probably tried to find them before he became overwhelmed. His arms are wrapped around himself and he's listing to one side. Groot hovers at his shoulder, only a couple days out of his pot; at this stage he's not much taller than Peter is when sitting down. He looks up at them, worried and anxious. "I am Groot," he says, his voice not yet deepened into its normal register.

"Yeah, yeah," Rocket mutters. "We're coming."

Gamora walks up to Peter on his left. As she sits down, she catches a glimpse of his wide, terrified eyes – and for a tiny moment, she sees a flash of violet light in their depths.

The last time this happened was over a week ago, and she had started to think it might finally be over. She should have known better, of course. Nothing is ever easy for them.

It's the Infinity Stone, of course. As far as she knows, Drax and Rocket have never been affected at all. She herself has only experienced this kind of thing twice, both times happening soon after they left Xandar. But those spells were short-lived, and she was able to overcome them on her own.

They were still frightening, though, she remembers that. The way the violet light of the Infinity Stone rose up without warning all around her, sweeping her away into a cyclone of power. Tearing her apart from the inside, leaving her tethered to reality by the slimmest of threads. Each time, she clawed her way back to herself through brute force, relying only on her will, which has always been strong.

Peter, though, doesn't have that. He lacks her enhancements, her background. And he was the first to take up the stone, and he held against it, alone, for an eternal time. When these spells come over him, he is lost and defenseless.

So the Guardians do for him what he can't do alone.

She slides her arm about Peter's shoulders and leans in so they are touching all along her right side. Drax sits on Peter's right and wraps a thick arm around him, pulling him, and Gamora along with him, into a one-sided embrace. Rocket leans up against Peter's back, and Groot's hand tightens on his shoulder.

They do not speak. Peter stares fixedly at nothing, sometimes shivering, sometimes perfectly still. That purple light does not reappear in his eyes. The Infinity Stone is slowly losing its grip on him – the spells are coming with less frequency these days – but for now these dark reminders of its power remain.

Gamora sits silently, sharing her strength with Peter, remembering that day on Xandar when they all stood united against Ronan. She wonders what Peter sees during times like this, if he's back there, screaming as the power of the stone slowly devours him. She wonders how aware he is of their presence as they try their best to keep him from coming apart.

After a long while, Peter stirs, his hands falling into his lap as he relaxes his death grip on his torso. He glances at her, then at Drax. His shoulders slump. "Sorry," he mumbles. "Thanks."

The first time this happened, they all moved away immediately once it became clear that Peter was back with them. Gamora knows that for Rocket and Drax, it was embarrassment at the intimacy of what they were doing, but she had removed herself from Peter's side so that she would not shame him. 

Now, though, none of them move. Even Rocket, who dislikes to be touched by anyone, remains where he is, all but draped across Peter's back.

She smiles gently, her arm still around Peter's shoulders. "This is what friends are for."

"Yes," Drax says solemnly.

"I am Groot," says Groot, his hand squeezing Peter's shoulder.

"Yeah, you make a good back rest," Rocket says.

Peter smiles a little, weak and embarrassed. He doesn't get up, though, or pull away from them.

Gamora looks at them, her fellow Guardians. She is proud to know that they will not hesitate to support one another in a time of need. She is not sure yet that she would call upon them herself should she require it, but it is good to know that she _could._

They are her friends.

Her family.


End file.
